Machine for treating fibrous plants.



No. 637,824. Patented Nov. 28, I899.

I J. G. PRATT. MACHINE FOR TREATING FlBBOUS PLANTS.

(Application filed. Oct. 14, 1898.)

4 -Sheets-Shaet I.

(No Modal.)

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MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1898.) (No Model.)

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Nu. 637,824. Patented Nov. 28, I899.

. J. G. PRATT.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBRUUS PLANTS.

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1898.)

4 Sheets$heet 8.

(No Model.)

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J. a. PRATT. momma FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1898.)

No. 637,824. Patented Nov. 28, I899.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

.UNITED' STATES.

PATENT OFFIC JOSEPH G. PRATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 637,824, datedNovember 28, 189$ Application filed October 14, 1898. Serial No.693,512. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. PRATT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have inventeda certain new anduseful Improved Machine for Treating Fibrous Plants, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the means employed forcleaning off and stripping the skin or epidermis surrounding the fibersof ramie, jute, hemp, and other fibrous plants that grow upon singlestalks and are of a fine and delicate nature. The fiber of such plants,which contain more or less gum or sap, lies between the outer coveringor epidermis and the wood core of the stalks.

I-Ieretofore these fibrous plants have been cleaned by a long andexpensive process of rotting in various ways and alsobydecortieating-machines, which strip, tear, and break the entire stalk,including the wooden-core portion, causing the product to be.delive-redfrom the machine having the fiber mingled with the crushed wood core ina tangled mass and with the skin only partially and incompletelyremoved, constituting a part of the tangled mass. This necessitates thetreatment of this tangled mass with powerful chemicals in order toentirely separate the skin and gum or sap from the mass product. Thecrushing of the core, fiber, and the skin into a tangled mass renders itmore difficult to separate the wood of the core from the fiber and toeliminate the gum or sap. As it is necessary also that the strands ofthe fiber product should be straight and separated from each other,reducing the fiber, skin, and wood core into a tangled mass defeats thisobject and renders it extremely difficult to disentangle the mass,separate the wood core and skin, and straighten out and separate thestrands of the fiber. It is not possible with existing methods to avoidgreat waste, owing to the defective mode of operation of existingdecorticating-machines.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which shall morenearly conform to wood core, a part of the skin, and the fiber into atangled mass permeated with the gum or sap.

In my improved machine I simply subject the plant, with its skinsoftened by previous treatment, to the influence of a set of rollshaving a progressive differential peripheral speed, which rolls seizeuponthe plants and in the progressive advance of the plants through theset of rolls subject them to a continued longitudinalpull,completelystripping and wiping the skin from the fiber, instead ofbreaking the wood core and crushing the fiber into the core and onlypartially removing the skin. With my improved machine the fiber isundetached from the core, and therefore it is retained in its naturalposition, with the strands straight, producing ultimately the completeremoval of the skin, and the retention of the fiber in its naturalposition on the core also greatly facilitating the process ofeliminating the gum or sap.

One of the features of my invention which materially cooperates toproduce the desired results resides in the formation of a peculiar andparticular character of yielding and compressible surface on the rollswhereby the stalks or plants are seized between yielding surfaces whichconform to the size and shape of each plant or stalk and which preventany crushing or breaking of the plants or stalks or dislodgment of thefiber from its natural position on the stalks as they are subjected tothe differential action of the rolls, which strip and wipe the skin fromthe fiber.

My invention has certain other objects in View; and it consists incertain features about to be described, reference being now had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of onetype of my improved machine having rolls of progressively-increaseddiameter. Fig. 2 is a view of a side of the machine opposite to thatshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of another type having progressively-decreasing gears toincrease peripheral speed.

In carrying out my invention I provide two l l l the skinfrom the fiberwithout crushing the types of machine to obta1n the-diiterentlalperipheral speed of rollers whereby to act upon the stalks. In one typeof machine I provide sets of rollers of progressively-increasingdiameter and in the other provide rolls of the same diameter, but causethem in sets to relatively and progressively increase in speed. V

It will be understood that the stalks before subjection to theaction ofthe machine are treated in a bath of suitable chemicals, as is usual, tosoften the fiber and skin.

I will now proceed to describe the character of machine having sets ofrolls of relatively-increasing diameter. (Shown in Figs. 1 to 3inclusive.) The mechanism is mounted upona suitable supporting-table A,having cast therewith and projecting therefrom the bearing-plates B.Journaled in these bearing-plates are the sets of rollers or rolls D,arranged in pairs one above the other. These rolls, as is shown, areprogressively in sets or pairs of relatively-increasing diameter. Eachpair or set of the rolls D are driven at the same rate of speed,preferably, by means of the meshing gear-wheels D and D respectively oneach roll, Fig. 2, and the lower rolls of the machine are driven by thebevel gearwheels D, Fig. 1, meshing with the bevelpinion D of thedrive-shaft E, which extends from end to end of the machine and isjournaled in the boxes E Brush-rolls H are located, respectively, aboveand below the wiping-rollsD, Fig. 3, and these brush-rolls are driven ina direction opposite to that of the wiping-rolls by means of the shaftsJand J Fig. 2, and the bevel gear-wheels J and J respectively on thebrush-rolls and said shafts. These shafts also extend longitudinallyalongside of and from end to end of the machine and are mounted in theboxes J By reason of therelatively-increased diameter of the rolls it isnecessary to extend the shafts J and J 2 so that they diverge graduallyin relative position one from the other. If desired, apron-guards K maybe provided to prevent the stalks from dislodgment in any way. In thistype of machine it is evident that each respective set of rollshas whatmay be termed a peripheral speed, varying from that of its neighbors,and that this peripheral variation of speed increases progressively fromone end of the machine'to the other. When the stalks are fed between thefirst set of rolls and theiradvancing ends seized by the next set ofrolls having a relatively-increased peripheral speed, the difierence ofspeed between the two sets imparts to the stalks a pull which tends towipe or strip the epidermis from'the fiber. The wipingrolls D are facedwith a covering of what is generally known as a sponge-rubber, as at L,Fig. 4, a product of manufacture which is exceedingly pliable andyielding and which willyet retain a firm grip and seizure upon thestalk. I have discovered that this spongernbber will permit the use ofrolls to strip and wipe off the epidermis and that it will overcome thecrushing of the stalks and'the tangling together of the skinincompletely removed, the fiber, and the crushed stalk. The rolls sofaced yield to the several stalks and in yielding obtain and maintain afirm hold upon the stalks to subject them to the influence of thediiferential peripheral speed of the rolls as the stalks are drawnthrough the rolls and at each set subjected progressively to a pullwhich tends to wipe and strip the epidermis from the fiber. By thismeans the fiber is separated readily from the epidermis and retains itsnatural straight position upon the stalks-, thus preventing the tanglingtogether of the separate lengths of fiber and presenting the fiber in astraight position on the core or stem for subsequent treatment.

The other form of machine, which is illustrated in Fig. 4, is of thesame general construction, except'that the rolls D are all of the samediameter, the peripheral speed between the sets of rollsbeing'relatively and progressively increased by progressively decreasingthe size of the gear-wheel D of each set, thereby rotating the rolls ata relatively and progressively increased speed.

I provide means for delivering upon the stalks as they are advancedthrough the machine a supply of water through the feed and deliverypipes J.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In'an apparatus for treating the stalks of fibrous plants, sets of rollshaving a peripheral covering of sponge-rubber, arranged to act upon saidstalks and means for imparting to said sets of rolls a relatively andprogressively increasing peripheral speed whereby the stalks aresubjected to the difierential of movement between said sets to strip orwipe the epidermis from the fiber.

Signed at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois,

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. BULKLEY, A; MILLER BELFIELD.

